LETTER: cinemas will show violence but not the Lord’s Prayer for fear of insulting other faiths

Published:14:42Friday 27 November 2015

Whither England, whatever is happening to our country? In the run up to Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, England’s biggest chains of picture houses have seen fit to ban the screening of a short film in which Archbishop Welby of Canterbury and members of the public recite the Lord’s Prayer.

Odeon, Cineworld and Vue have refused to show the one-minute film which the Church of England planned to run in picture houses across England before the new Star Wars blockbuster, which opens the week before Christmas.

One Paul Maloney of DCM and Odeon said that ‘showing such adverts carries the risk of upsetting or offending audiences.’

Who is he frightened of offending with a prayer which billions of people throughout the world, including me, say daily?

Archbishop Welby pointed out that such prayers have helped many to find comfort and solace after the terrorist attacks in Paris.

These organisations have banned our Lord’s Prayer yet they seem to have no qualms about showing disturbing films containing violence and sex with a 12A rating which means children of 12 can see them with an adult.

To give another example, last year they released Inbetweeners 2, rated 15, which tells a tale of four youths who go to Australia and is relentlessly vulgar in which the women characters are either hysterical or objects of unfettered lust. Poor role models for adolescent boys who flocked to see it.

Oh yes, we can watch that but not the gentle Archbishop and the Lord’s Prayer. I have been a science fiction fan since I was a pupil at school in the 40s and 50s but will not now be going to watch the new Star Wars blockbuster.